Battle of Tarsus (366)

The Battle of Tarsus occurred in 366 when a Byzantine army of 682 troops attempted to relieve the besieged city of Tarsus, which was defended by 23 troops under Equitius Flavius. The Byzantines were defeated by a smaller Sassanid force of 397 troops under Emperor Shapur II in a truly awesome victory for the Persians.

Background
In the previous three years, the Persians had slain a Roman emperor, defeated two invasions, and conquered Syria Coele. Led by Emperor Shapur II, the Persians pushed northwards into present-day southern Turkey, part of the province of Cilicia et Lycia of the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines stood a poor chance of holding the capital of Tarsus from the Persians; with 23 troops, Equitius Flavius had to face 397 Persian troops. However, an army of 682 Byzantine troops under Severus marched west to relieve the city. The Persians had the chance to escape, but Shapur was keen on facing the odds and capturing Tarsus.

Battle
The Persians and Byzantines met in the winter of 366 on gray sands surrounding Tarsus. The Byzantines had large numbers, but they were unable to exploit their numerical advantage. The Persian cavalry flanked the Byzantines and attacked them as the Byzantine main force charged the Persian infantry, which was constantly rallied by Shapur. The sheer bravery of the Persians routed several Byzantine units, whose tired troops were mainly poorly-trained frontier troops. The fierce Persians drove off the main Byzantine army and Severus was killed by an arrow. Shapur killed 569 Byzantines with 107 losses, and the battle destroyed Byzantine morale.

Aftermath
In the summer of 367, Shapur assaulted Tarsus with siege engines and took the city with 82 losses. The people of Tarsus accepted his rule without need for violence, and Shapur peacefully occupied the province.